Zonda Elevate’s 2025 Architects of the Year
Architect Magazine – Arquitectonica co-founders Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear have been named Zonda Elevate’s 2025 Architects of the Year.
From their beginnings in Miami to leading a practice with projects in more than 59 countries, their work continues to explore how architecture responds to climate, culture, and community.
Read a snippet from the article below, where they reflect on their journey, discuss the evolution of their design philosophy, and share insights into the questions shaping their work today.
Few architectural partnerships have reshaped a city—and then exported that vision across the globe—with the force and clarity of Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear. As the co-founders and guiding principals of Arquitectonica, they transformed Miami in the late 1970s and early 1980s from a sleepy resort town into a vibrant laboratory for bold, expressive modernism.
Their early work—defined by fearless geometry, saturated color, and an insistence on the emotional power of architecture—became synonymous with Miami’s cultural and economic renaissance. From that foundation, they built a practice whose influence now spans 59 countries across five continents, supported by 13 mid-sized, globally linked studios that still operate with the intimacy and spirit of a boutique family firm.
Visit the link below to read the full article:
